Carbondale, IL – Kenneth is a board member of Green Earth, a non-profit that owns and maintains nature preserves in Carbondale. Its properties enhance Carbondale neighborhoods by providing green spaces and trails. Knowledgeable about plants and an amazingly hard worker, Kenneth assists and supervises volunteer work crews during the monthly workdays at Green Earth properties and has been doing so for many years. A lab technical assistant in pathology at Memorial Hospital of Carbondale for just over 18 years, he has volunteered countless hours of physical work to maintain Green Earth trails and help fight invasive species even before the summer of 2018. Since retiring a year ago, he has been working on Green Earth nature preserves nearly every day, weather permitting. WSIU Public Broadcasting, a service of Southern Illinois University Carbondale, is pleased to announce Kenneth Mayberry as the new individual recipient of the monthly ‘Good Neighbor’ award as a part of WSIU’s One Region, All Neighbors initiative. Inspired by Fred Rogers, the campaign recognizes people who exemplify kindness and compassion and make a positive impact in their communities. “I’m very honored. I never considered myself in the same company as people who have won that award. When I’m doing something for recreation, the kind of benefit is just mutual. While I’m getting an award for volunteer hours, I don’t want it to be lost that this is self-beneficial. I’m sure I’m helping the natural environment, but I'm also helping my own environment, so I’m both giving and taking at the same time. And it's great that Green Earth is seeing benefit from my labors,” said awardee Kenneth Mayberry.
I'm sure I'm helping the natural environment, but I'm also helping my own environment, so I'm both giving and taking at the same time. And it's great that Green Earth is seeing benefit from my labors.
Kenneth became familiar with the different properties, six of which are in or near Carbondale, when he started hiking about seven years ago. The infrastructure and the trail itself was very poor. The trail heads were unattractive and ill-maintained. The trail guide boxes were leaky and didn’t even have trail guides in them. If they did have guides, they were very likely to be wet. However, he gradually began seeing improvement after he joined the board. For example, the Chautauqua Bottoms trail system located in the west side of town underwent a dramatic change within the last year and a half. A large grant paid for great trail improvements like making most of it wheelchair-friendly and ADA adaptable. People living in different nursing homes on both ends of the system now have access to the natural world around them. Green Earth also upgraded the looks of the trailheads themselves and expanded the main parking lot to probably four times the original size.
Expressing his views on being a good neighbor and what it means to him, Mayberry said, “A good example is land conservation organization Green Earth. Their mission is to preserve natural areas in the community for the use of members. A lot of the properties that we know had been farmland that may have been areas that had dumping going on. We have gone in and cleaned up and tried to return them to their natural condition the best we can. We want native plants to be growing in their native soils. With about 220 acres amongst the six different preserves all together, it's a lot to take care of.”
Kenneth also works with students who volunteer. A pretty good percentage of Green Earth’s volunteer workforce is SIU students. Currently, he is leading seven students for an English class who have to contribute 10 hours of volunteer work per semester to a nonprofit in the area of their choice as part of their class requirements.
“Kenneth puts in hours at all of the Green Earth nature preserves throughout Carbondale neighborhoods. He is selfless and hardworking and always says “yes” whether it’s supervising other volunteers, working at the fundraising plant sales, emptying trash barrels on GE property, pulling invasive plants, etc. He is knowledgeable and self-initiates many efforts in line with Green Earth goals,” said nominator Dorcy Prosser, also a board member of Green Earth. “Green Earth properties are open to the public and are supported through volunteer efforts and donations. It’s not part of Carbondale Park District but provides many “park” experiences not dependent on tax dollars. Kenneth is a huge reason it is possible to keep the preserves available to all. He makes this happen.”
About One Region All Neighbors
WSIU’s One Region, All Neighbors campaign is inspired by the life and legacy of Fred Rogers. For more than thirty years, Fred Rogers reached into homes and hearts with his children’s public television program, Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. Fred Rogers’ career demonstrated the power of kindness and transformed our understanding of childhood. His legacy lives on through Fred Rogers Center for Early Learning and Children’s Media. The spirit of Mister Rogers Neighborhood continues with Fred Rogers Productions, creator of award-winning programs such as Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, Peg+Cat, and Odd Squad, which are broadcast daily on the PBS KIDS line-up on WSIU Public Television. Activities, interactive games, and videos associated with these programs are available online. Fred calls upon us to “Imagine what our real neighbors would be like if each of us offered, as a matter of course, just one kind word to another person. There have been so many stories about the lack of courtesy, the impatience of today's world, road rage and even restaurant rage. Sometimes, all it takes is one kind word to nourish another person. Think of the ripple effect that can be created when we nourish someone. One kind empathetic word has a wonderful way of turning into many.”
In honor of Fred Rogers’ vision, WSIU’s One Region, All Neighbors initiative encourages community members to nominate those who are making positive contributions through acts of kindness, compassion, and service. Each month during 2019, winners are chosen from nominations submitted by the public in five categories - individual, youth, educator, community group, and business. WSIU recognizes these winners on our television and radio stations, WSIU website and social media. All awardees and nominators will be invited to attend a special ceremony where they each will be recognized for their outstanding contributions in their communities.
Nominate Your Neighbors
WSIU encourages the public to participate in One Region, All Neighbors campaign by nominating neighbors online and sharing on social media using #WeAreAllNeighbors.
About WSIU Public Broadcasting
WSIU Public Broadcasting is licensed to the Board of Trustees of Southern Illinois University and is an integral part of the College of Mass Communication & Media Arts on the Carbondale campus. The WSIU stations reach more than five million people across six states and beyond through five digital public television channels, three public radio stations, a radio information service, a website, and education and outreach services.
WSIU's mission is to improve the quality of life of the people they serve. The WSIU stations partner with other community organizations to promote positive change and to support the academic and public service missions of Southern Illinois University Carbondale. Learn more and get the latest station news online and on WSIU's Facebook and Twitter pages.
WSIU's programs and services are partially funded by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency.
